An emergency disconnect circuit for use with a high-voltage (HV) bus of a battery electric system, e.g., aboard a mobile system, includes a pyrotechnic switch and a manual switch. The pyrotechnic switch configured irreversibly opens in response to an electronic triggering signal to disconnect an HV battery pack from the HV bus in a first manner. The manual switch is arranged on a low-voltage (LV) bus in series with and between the pyrotechnic switch and an LV power supply. Transition of the manual switch from an open position to a closed position connects the LV power supply to the pyrotechnic switch. This causes the LV power supply to discharge the triggering signal to the pyrotechnic switch. When used aboard a mobile system, an electronic monitoring unit generates the triggering signal in a second manner in response to a threshold impact event.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The emergency disconnect circuit of claim 1, wherein the LV power supply includes a 12-volt auxiliary battery, further comprising a diode disposed between the 12-volt auxiliary battery and the manual switch.
3. The emergency disconnect circuit of claim 2, wherein the HV battery pack is a propulsion battery pack of a mobile system.
4. The emergency disconnect circuit of claim 3, wherein the emergency disconnect circuit includes an electronic monitoring unit (EMU) operable for detecting a threshold impact event of the mobile system, and for transmitting the electronic triggering signal to the pyrotechnic switch in response to detecting the threshold impact event.
5. The emergency disconnect circuit of claim 3, further comprising a capacitor positioned in parallel with the 12-volt auxiliary battery, wherein the capacitor is operable for discharging the electronic triggering signal to the pyrotechnic switch when the manual switch is in the closed position.
6. The emergency disconnect circuit of claim 1, wherein the emergency disconnect circuit is configured to connect to an external battery, such that the external battery is configured to discharge the electronic triggering signal to the pyrotechnic switch when the manual switch is in the closed position.
8. The battery electric system of claim 7, wherein the mobile system includes an electric propulsion motor connected to the HV battery pack and the HV battery pack is configured as a propulsion battery pack.
9. The battery electric system of claim 7, wherein the emergency disconnect circuit includes a diode disposed between and in series with the LV power supply and the manual switch.
10. The battery electric system of claim 7, wherein the emergency disconnect circuit includes a capacitor positioned in parallel with the LV power supply, and wherein the capacitor is operable for discharging the electronic triggering signal to the pyrotechnic switch when the manual switch is transitioned to the closed position.
11. The battery electric system of claim 7, wherein the emergency disconnect circuit is configured to connect to an external battery, and the external battery is operable for discharging the electronic triggering signal to the pyrotechnic switch when the manual switch is transitioned to the closed position.
12. The battery electric system of claim 7, wherein the electronic monitoring unit is integral with the pyrotechnic switch.
13. The battery electric system of claim 7, wherein the HV battery pack includes one or more lithium-ion battery packs, and wherein the LV power supply includes a 12-volt lead acid battery.
15. The motor vehicle of claim 14, further comprising an electric propulsion motor connected to the HV battery pack, and wherein the HV battery pack is configured as a propulsion battery pack.
16. The motor vehicle of claim 15, wherein the propulsion battery pack includes one or more lithium-ion battery packs.
17. The motor vehicle of claim 15, wherein the electric propulsion motor is a polyphase motor connected to the propulsion battery pack via a power inverter.
18. The motor vehicle of claim 14, wherein the emergency disconnect circuit includes a diode disposed between and in series with and between the 12-volt battery and the manual switch, and a capacitor positioned in parallel with the 12-volt battery, the capacitor being operable for discharging the electronic triggering signal to the pyrotechnic switch when the manual switch is transitioned to the closed position.
19. The motor vehicle of claim 14, wherein the emergency disconnect circuit is configured to connect to an external battery, and wherein the external battery is operable for discharging the electronic triggering signal to the pyrotechnic switch when the manual switch is transitioned to the closed position.
20. The motor vehicle of claim 14, wherein the emergency disconnect circuit includes a light-emitting diode (LED) connected to the LV bus downstream of the manual switch, and operable for indicating whether the manual switch is in the closed position with power flowing therethrough.
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April 11, 2022
January 2, 2024
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